New Emergency Notification System To Keep Residents Safe

Tools

By
Brandon Redmond

Story Created:
Jul 22, 2013 at 5:58 PM MDT

Story Updated:
Jul 22, 2013 at 11:30 PM MDT

Twin Falls, Idaho ( KMVT-TV / KTWT-TV ) SIRCOMM began looking for a mass notification system vendor about seven months ago. Everbridge was selected to install the four county system which went live earlier this month.

"We put together a community alert notification system and that's what we're calling it, SIRCOMM CAN system," said SIRCOMM Director John Moore.

That means instead of you calling 9–1–1, 9–1–1 might be calling you. The system will be used to notify citizens of emergencies or dangerous situations in their community.

"About five months ago, six months ago, we had disaster service coordinators from all four counties approach SIRCOMM about putting this together. There was a need in the community to get the word out in case there was an emergency," said John Moore.

The system will come preloaded with all home and business telephone numbers for Gooding, Jerome, Lincoln and Twin Falls counties. But there are a couple of ways you can also register to be notified on your cell phone.

"They can either get a hold of one of the community service directors or go to SIRCOMM.com and click on the link there," said John Moore.

The Twin Falls County Sheriff's Office is looking forward to utilizing the new system.

"It's going to be able to give us the opportunity to notify anybody within the area that we have a hostage crisis or an emergency in the area," said Sgt. Dan Thom with the Twin Falls County Sheriff’s Department.

If you register your cell phone, SIRCOMM is also asking that you provide them with any vital information about you or your family.

"When a citizen signs up on the website for this, I strongly urge them if they have medical conditions to go ahead and fill in some of the check boxes that are there. That way in the event of an emergency that we can let responders know that those people need to be taken care of first," said Director John Moore.